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Ben Preston writes We’re taking a family skiing break at half-term and want the added flexibility of a car once we arrive at the resort. I’ve never done this before – is there anything I should be aware of?

David Williams, an award-winning motoring journalist, replies Many skiers hire cars for that very reason; it makes it easier getting to and from your hotel or chalet, especially if you are travelling in a small group with lots of luggage. A car also allows you to make the most of attractions at local resorts. However, planning and calculating the true overall cost are key to avoiding common pitfalls.

Experts from iCarhireinsurance.com recently investigated vehicle rental at popular European destinations. They found that hiring a car was “like skiing in a blizzard, hampered by poor visibility and a lack of transparency”, because of hidden charges for extras, such as winter tyres, snow chains (snow chains alone can add around £60 a week), roof racks for skis or snowboards, as well as excess car insurance. Together these extra charges could see your weekly bill soar by nearly £400.

Some extras are more crucial than others. At certain times of year, countries such as Germany and Austria make winter tyres a legal requirement. The AA website (theaa.com) will tell you which other countries apply this rule. Otherwise, advises the AA’s Rosie Sanderson, “always phone ahead to ask the rental company if winter tyres are mandatory and whether you must pay extra. Remember that legally, it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that the car meets local conditions, even if it is a hire car. It is also against the law to cause any damage to a road surface with snow chains.”

Hiring a ski roof rack can be costly, too: through Avis in Barcelona it could add as much as £62 to your bill, while in Grenoble, Budget will charge just £24 for the same service.

The most expensive “extra” is excess car hire insurance. The most expensive place to buy excess insurance, found the survey, was Turin, with Hertz charging £147.84 and EuropCar charging £147.63 for a week.

Andrew Brown, Post Office head of travel money, warns: “While it may be tempting to go for the cheapest headline cost when booking car hire, this could prove to be a false economy. Post Office consumer research found that two-thirds of people who had hired a car abroad for their holiday paid for extras like excess waiver insurance and an additional driver on top of the basic rental charge.

“Our research revealed that three in 10 choose to keep their costs down by opting not to pay for the excess waiver insurance – a risky choice as the consequence could be a much higher bill if you have an accident.”

Given the conditions in which you will be driving, the possibility of a bump or a scrape is not that remote.

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